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FA Vase: Memory Lane

Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) Football Club is located in North London. The club is also known as Spurs. Tottenham's home ground is White Hart Lane. The club motto is Audere est Facere (To dare is to do).

The FA Vase final between Didcot Town and AFC Sudbury in May will see the return to White Hart Lane of a name familiar to Tottenham fans.

Stuart Beavon, who scored the only goal of Didcot’s semi-final second leg victory over Jarrow Roofing Boldon CA to clinch the Oxfordshire club’s final berth, is far too young to remember the time when his father (pictured below) of the same name broke into the Tottenham first team as a promising young midfielder.

But Beavon junior can’t wait to follow in his dad’s footsteps and grace the home of his former club.

"It’s going to make my dad and granddad (who was also a professional footballer) so proud to see me run out at White Hart Lane," he said.

Beavon senior progressed through our youth ranks and made his senior debut against Manchester City in February 1979. But his path to the first team was blocked by the likes of Glenn Hoddle, Ossie Ardiles and Micky Hazard and he joined Reading the following year having made just five competitive appearances for us.

But, if Didcot manager Stuart Peace’s forecast is correct, we could be hearing a lot more of his 20-year-old offspring.

"The goal he (Stuart) scored in the semi-final was of the highest quality, but I never expected anything less from him," said Peace.

"He showed his class with a great finish and he’s got a big future ahead of him."

Didcot chairman John Bailey is another who can’t wait for the May 14 final.

“This is reward not just for the players but also for the supporters, committee and management,” he said.

“I think there will be huge support for us at White Hart Lane. The supporters have been a credit to the club, and have been in tremendous spirit home and away.

“But the day belongs to the players. They’ve earned themselves a day that will live in their memories forever.”

Meanwhile, Didcot’s opponents AFC Sudbury are seeking to end a disappointing run that has seen them finish runners-up in each of the last two Vase competitions.

They overcame Bedlington Terriers in this season’s semi-final courtesy of a nerve-jangling penalty shoot-out triumph, and manager Gary Harvey is desperate to see the Suffolk club end their Vase Final hoodoo.

"It’s got to be third time lucky," said Harvey, whose team lost to Winchester City last year (2-0) and Brigg Town (2-1) in 2003.

"We’ve had a bit of luck along the way this season, like every club needs. So I think it’s going to be our year."